archives complete

I have finally finished transferring my archives from the old homeschooledmedstudent site to here, since that one is going off-line. I’m not too pleased with a lot of what I wrote back in medical school, especially second year; but I figure I ought to save it, just to see how things change over time. I was crazy about politics back then, and it’s a little embarassing to see how much I cared about different politicians, who turn out to be nothing but broken straws. This election will be much less stressful to me, since I have no time to pay attention to it.

On the other hand, I used to be bolder and more open about ethical and religious discussions, both with colleagues and with patients, than I am now. I’m not happy that I’ve gotten so wrapped up in the mechanics of residency that I don’t have energy for that anymore. March 2005 I was very much into the Terri Schiavo case; and I’m still trying to decide how much my opinions have been changed by having more experience with ICU patients and brain-damaged patients. I still think she was murdered, but I’m not as sure of the practical applications to my patients.

It’s also funny to see how set I was on ob/gyn all the way through school, and what an about-face I did at the end of third year. It serves me right for giving smart-aleck answers to everyone who warned me about setting my course too far ahead.

Advertisements

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

6 Responses to “archives complete”

I have changed my opinions, unwillingly and unwittingly, a little. Today I might accept a strong argument that not placing a feeding tube is acceptable (although I think removing one that’s been in place for years is something different). But in Terri’s case, from what I saw, admittedly in a very partisan environment on the internet, I don’t think she was properly evaluated. I think her husband, wanting to marry another woman, and a judge with ties to the Hemlock Society, conspired to starve her to death regardless of what the medical situation was. I would, of course, love to hear what you think. 🙂

Her case forced the Catholic Church to take a clearer stance on the issue of depriving people of nutrition and hydration via feeding tube. The Magisterium, but sadly not nearly all American Catholics, would agree with you that the removal of her feeding tube was immoral. I dont’ think it meets the legal definition as well.

okay, want I want you to do next is research your next patient on the internet, no you don’t get to access anything that cites medical research only opinions from people with no medical knowledge and a love of nasty gossip. I wish I could be there to hear you present.
Anyone who made up there mind about the Schiavo case from the internet doesn’t get the right to voice an opinion.
and how like the religious right to stop all pretense of that christianity love they neighbour crap and repeat baseless vicious gossip.

How about I start repeating as truth the crap I hear about the religious right. Aren’t you all murderers and racists? I mean didn’t you all support that guy that murdered those doctors? And isn’t you that said that all black people should be slaves and all gay people should be murdered at birth? No? well I read it on the internet on a christian web site.

Anyone educated in the medical field knew that Shiavo wasn’t starved to death, she was brain dead. All that she had left was brain stem function..see I know that because I have seen her MRI and I saw her tapes.
You on the hand heard her parents spout a vicious attack and you being a good christian believed it promptly.

Ofcourse he wanted her dead so he could marry his girlfriend..because there was no way he could without her dead..divorce is punishable by death in the US right?
Man, every time one of you so called christians opens their mouth it makes the rest of us cringe.

and another thought. Back up the hypocrisy bus here. You have changed your opinion and wouldn’t put a feeding tube in one of your patients now under the same circumstances…but it’s murder if you REMOVE the tube after a while..am I right?

So, according to you you should in your opinion “starve” them to death right off the bat because giving them every possible opportunity and treatment to recover over time is ?wrong?.
How come no christians ever comment about the years and years of one on one care her husband gave her? The fact that despite every doc telling him to give up he wouldn’t and instead took her to country after country, doctor after doctor begging for help unti he at last came to acceptance.
No, it’s so much easier to forget all that and call him awful names.

Have a think about if this was your husband. Is this how you would want the world to treat him after he has done everything possible for you and finally just wants your dignity?
I guess according to you that would make you warm and fuzzy.
Talk to us all again after you finish two years in ICU. Until you actually have a stake in the outcome you need to shut it.

Mo – I have a hard time taking your comments seriously since you seem to be ignorant about some basic clinical facts, including the definition of brain death. A person cannot be both brain dead, and have “only brainstem function,” since brain death is defined as the absence of brainstem reflexes. Terry was breathing on her own, and was moving her eyes to some extent. Clearly her respiratory center and third, fourth, sixth, ninth and tenth cranial nerves at least were still functioning. If you want to have a rational discussion, I’d be happy to engage. If you’re just going to fling ill-informed emotion around, let’s not get started.